Sanjay Nayak

Sanjay Nayak is a prominent figure in the Indian telecom and electronics industry, best known for his role as the co-founder, CEO, and Managing Director of Tejas Networks, a position he held from May 2000 to June 2023.3

Career Highlights

Nayak co-founded Tejas Networks in Bangalore, establishing it as India's pioneering telecom equipment company.2 Under his leadership, Tejas Networks became a market leader in India and ranked among the top-10 global optical networking vendors in its segment.2 The company has generated over US$500 million in cumulative revenues over a decade, with customers in more than 60 countries.2

Prior to founding Tejas Networks, Nayak served as:

• Managing Director of Synopsys India (1997-2000)3
• Director of R&D at Cadence Design Systems2

Achievements and Recognition

Nayak has received several prestigious awards for his contributions to the industry:

• "Electronics Man of the Year" by the Electronics Industries Association of India (ELCINA)3
• "Technovation Sarabhai Award" from the Indian Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA)3
• "Telecom CEO of The Year, 2022" by Economic Times3
• Inducted into the ECE Hall of Fame at North Carolina State University3
• Fellow of the Indian National Academy of Engineering3

Education

Nayak completed his BS from Birla Institute of Technology Mesra, India, where he was the Gold Medalist of his graduating class.2

Leadership and Influence

Throughout his career, Nayak has been recognized as a thought leader in the Indian telecom and electronics industry, particularly for his views on innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology.2 He has played a key role in working with the government and industry to help frame India's new electronics policies.2

In March 2023, Tejas Networks announced a leadership change, with Anand Athreya appointed to succeed Sanjay Nayak as CEO & MD Designate.1 This transition marked the end of Nayak's 23-year tenure at the helm of Tejas Networks, during which he led the company from a startup to India's first publicly-listed deep-technology telecom products company.1